also be charged for water, an irate tenant charged yesterday.

"They are keeping the lower income family back,'' the Devonshire woman claimed.

The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she received a letter dated November 10, from the Bermuda Housing Corporation informing her that as of January the rent on her Prospect dwelling will increase from by almost eight percent from $834 to $900 for her one-bedroom apartment.

"The rent takes two weeks of my pay and the other two weeks goes towards my family,'' she said. "I'm just about keeping my head above water. Not every single parent wants to be on welfare.

"Most of my neighbours are seniors, living on a pension. How are they going to afford this?'' The woman said she met with social services but they told her she made too much money to receive assistance.

"I went to housing and what they gave me is a joke,'' she added. "The working class person doesn't stand a chance.

"If I wanted to better myself and go back to school I couldn't because I can't afford to -- every year they put up the rent.'' The rent hike is part of the Government's three-year plan to bring its residential rents more in line with market levels.

But the woman said it was the plan to charge her for water and the practice of making Government tenants pay land tax that has her seeing red.

"I know that every year they are going to put up the rent up,'' she said.

"It's the water and the land tax that really gets me.'' The Housing Corporation letter stated: "You should be aware that water meters will be read and charges for water will begin in January 1998.'' Housing Corporation general manager Ed Cowen yesterday refused to comment on the new water fee or the land tax issue.